Producers Guild Announces 2008 Honorees

Best Motion Picture 2008

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (Ceán Chaffin, Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall)

The Dark Knight (Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Emma Thomas)

Frost/Nixon (Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Brian Grazer, Ron Howard)

Milk (Bruce Cohen, Dan Jinks, Michael London)

Slumdog Millionaire (Christian Colson, Paul Ritchie)

Best Animated Feature 2008

Bolt

Kung Fu Panda

Wall-e

Best Documentary Feature 2008

Man on Wire

Standard Operating Procedure

Trouble the Water

What do these awards tell us ? For one thing, I think we are looking at our Best Picture lineup as well as the nominees for Best Animated Feature.

These awards however are meaningless to these films unless they also recieve a coveted Directors Guild nomination on Thursday, the holy grail for films with Best Picture aspirations.

2009 Year In Advanced Predictions

I like to get these out of the way quick, so I can relax until the summer.

Here are my year in advance predictions for the Oscars in 2009.

Best Picture: The Lovely Bones
Best Director: Rob Marshall for Nine
Best Actor: Daniel Day-Lewis for Nine
Best Actress: Helen Mirren for Love Ranch
Best Supporting Actor: Stanley Tucci for The Lovely Bones
Best Supporting Actress: Saoirse Ronan for The Lovely Bones
Best Adapted Screenplay: The Lovely Bones
Best Original Screenpaly: Funny People
Best Film Editing: Public Enemies
Best Cinematography: Nine
Best Art Direction: Nine
Best Costume Design: Watchmen
Best Make-Up: Nine
Best Original Score: Inglorious Basterds
Best Original Song: Whatever Works
Best Special F/X: Watchmen
Best Sound Editing: Watchmen
Best Sound Mixing: Nine
Best Animated Film: Up!
Best Foreign Film: Abrazos Rotos (Broken Hugs)- Spain
Best Documentary: Untitled Bob Marley Documentary

Clint vs. Leo: A Best actor Showdown

Heres the way I see it.

On one hand you first need to look at the critical support for both of their films. Gran Torino is recieving reviews from all over the critical spectrum. It's been called a B movie, a low brow comedy, and a one note movie starring a Clint Eastwood doing his novelty grumpy old man schtick.However, in some corners it has been met with prasie for it's screenplay and mostly for Eastwood's preformance. Revolutionary Road's reviews have pretty much mirrored that of Gran Torino's, running hot and cold as well, with the consensus being that while Road is a handsome film showcasing decent direction by Sam Mendes, and three powerhouse performances including DiCaprio's, the film is marred by a depressing tone and a weak screenplay that is unable to capture the depth of it's source novel.

Critics Wise: It's close, but while Gran Torino the movie has recieved a few more good reviews, Leonardo DiCaprio's performance has been hailed as a revelation of talent far more often than Eastwood's performance has.

Winner, Round One: Leo

During the precursor season is when most contenders break-out and begin their march towards the Kodac Theatre in Hollywood. However, what happens when the majority of the awards with one or two exceptions goes to the same two actors ? Well, that is precisely what has happened this year with Sean Penn and Mickey Rourke who have each collectively picked up almost every critical precursor award. Clint Eastwood's name has been mentioned three times this season during the awards pre-run. He started in a blaze of glory by winning the NBR Best Actor award, and having Gran Torino and Changeling appear on the top ten list, which bodes well for the vet. Gran Torino also won the screenplay award which does not bode well for the film.Since the NBR, Eastwood was nominated but lost with Chicago and has only gotten one more nomination to his credit. Best Song for Gran Torino. Leo's showing has been just as dire throuout the precursor season. He recieved a Sattelite nomination, which counts for nothing as that group didnt even nominate Daniel day-Lewis last year, and he recieved a Golden Globe nomination, a key nod that Eastwood did not recieve, at least not in the right place. When both Leo and Clint missed the SAG shortlist, they were both thrust into immediate danger.

Awards Wise: Clint has won a critics precursor, Leo has not. Leo recieved a globe nod, Clint did not. Leo's movie has recieved more precusor love, however it is mostly directed towards his co-star

Winner, Round 2: Clint

History is the last important factor in this race, heaven knows the Oscars are always preoccupied with it. Paul Newman won Best Actor after several losing bids because he was old and he was playing a weary old man, leaving the more deserving Bob Hoskins out in the cold. When Al Pacino finally won, it was the same situation, he was old and he played an old blind man. This left Denzel Washington, Robert Downey Jr., Stephen Rea and a younger Eastwood out even though all of them except Eastwood had delivered bettwer performances.Eastwood is an old man playing a grumpy, old racist man. Leo is a young man, playing a repressed young man. The Academy tends to favor young mostly in the actress category, and unfortunately for Leo he aint a woman.The oscars also tend to look at the number of nods before awarding an actor.Clint has lost twice for two roles in two best picture winners that he won best director for, so he certainly doesnt need another oscar, but the enticing factor that this is his swan song may be too much to ignore. Leo on the other hand has recieved two best actor nominations for Blood Diamond and The Aviator and one supporting nod for What's Eating Gilbert grape. He was also snubbed for The Departed and Titanic, which may be in the voters minds since he is teaming up with Winslet once again.Clint has never been snubbed for acting, in fact most would argue that he has ben over rewarded. In 2004, his inclusion left off Paul Giamatti who gave 2004's most lauded performance. In 92' his nod for Unforgiven came as a complete shock to those who thought Anthony Hopkins was in for sure.So history both helps and hurts them.

History Wise: Old men are oft rewarded by the academy. Young men are snubbed until they win their body of work oscar as old men.

Winner, Round Three: Clint

So who wins the bout ? Technically Clint, as I kept my oppinion of both performances out of this fight. Personally, for me, Clint played a cursing, old racist who is funny and dies in the end. Not much of a great performance to be found, though I love Clint's films and thought he was very funny in Gran torino. For me, Leonardo DiCaprio gave the best performance by an actor in 2008. He raged and screamed and cried and laughed. He played a weak, insecure man who only felt like a real man when he was out in the world. and for Leo's brave performance he deserves an oscar.
So who gets the nomination ?
I'm going with my gut feeling on this one. Despite history, critics, and the precursors evidence, I'm going with my instincts and saying here and now that Leo will get a nomination. In the end, I might be proven wrong and made to look like an idiot, but I'm not going to predict that someone who gave such a powerful piece of acting will be snubbed. I cant do it.
Leonardo DiCaprio will be nominated along with Sean Penn, Mickey Rourke, Brad Pitt and Frank Langella. Richard Jenkins will be snubbed, Giamatti style to much chargrin, and Clint Eastwood will get his due from the music branch by being nominated for Best Original Song.

The First Annual Oscar Hut Awards-revised edition

It seems that when I sat down on the morning of December 31st to post my first Oscar Hut awards for the year 2008, I somehow managed to jump the gun. That very same day i caught a quick showing of Revolutionary Road and Gran Torino which has seriously shaken things up quite a bit. I apologize to all the "Hutts" out there who continued to surf the Internet believing that my awards were finished, through, done for.

Well without further adu, here are the *Official* 2008 Oscar Hut Awards ! (TM)

Top Ten of 2008

*Note: The descriptions of the previous top ten still apply, so, with the exception of my #1, I will only provide reasoning for new additions.

Honorable Mention:

Cloverfield- Shocked me in ways I hadn't felt in years. The funnest, most breathtaking theater going experience I had been through since The Departed. However, the one hitch in the film for me was the actual reveal of the monster. The mystery of what was destroying NYC was one of the best aspects of Cloverfield for 2/3rds of the film.

In Bruges- I wish I had seen this more when it was out in theatres. I loved it upon seeing it, but it suffered the sands of time in my memory. Still great upon my second viewing, I just enjoyed it more the first time I saw it.

Tropic Thunder- No other movie from 2008 had me laugh as much or as often as Tropic Thunder did this past summer. Stiller, Black, and Mcconaghey were excellent. Tom Cruise was surprisingly funny(but in no way worthy of a golden globe nomination), and Robert Downey Jr. turned in what was without a doubt the funniest performance of this entire year.

Now for the Tops of 2008....

1. Doubt- One of the most pleasantly surprising films I've ever seen. I came in with low expectations and came out on a high. I absolutely adored the film, the direction and the acting which was sharply realized and crackled perfectly like chestnuts on a roasting fire.

2. Slumdog Millionaire

3. The Dark Knight

4. The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

5. Wall-e

6. Vicky Cristina Barcelona

7. Changeling

8. Milk

9. The Reader

10. Revolutionary Road- Depressing ? Yes. Somber ? Yes. However the tone and screenplay for a film can be excused when you see direction, acting and technical feats like the ones on display in Revolutionary Road. Just a top notch film, that I believe is receiving unfair treatment from a majority of critics.

Best Actor: Leonardo DiCaprio for Revolutionary Road

Leo was an absolute revelation from the moment go. He went into depths I never thought I'd see from him, turning in his most emotional, most vulnerable, and most rage filled performance of his career. He was perfect. Better than the awards bodies have been treating him. An Oscar he deserves. Thus it is written. Thus it shall be done.
Runner Up: Sean Penn for Milk

Best Actress: Kate Winslet for Revolutionary Road
Kate the great delivered exactly as I had hoped and expected. Yet another performance head over heels better than anything most young actresses will ever do. I knew she had delivered the best performance of any other actress this year within 5 minutes of screen time. That look from the mirror got me hook, line and sinker.

Runner-Up: Meryl Streep for Doubt

Best Supporting Actor: Phillip Seymour Hoffman for Doubt.
Hoffman blew me away yet again with his performance as the priest accused of molesting a child. Though we never truly find out whether or not he is guilty, the fact that Phillip made such a vile character type sympathetic earns him an automatic spot on my short list. Whats more is that, he also was excellent in the film. His sermon scenes were sublime and his fiery encounter with Streep was incendiary.

Runner-Up: Heath Ledger for The Dark Knight

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams for Doubt

Adams is her character in this film. She is sweet, and pure and innocent. And at the same time she holds her own with Streeps' firm Sister Aloyisius and Hoffman's powerful Father Flynn. I have never been a fan of Adams' work, so after walking out of Doubt I felt floored by the work she displayed as the films emotional center. Viola Davis may be stealing all the praise but I feel Adams gave the better performance, end of story.

Runner-Up: Penelope Cruz for Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Best Direction: David Fincher

To describe how beautiful the direction of The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in words would do it no justice. Just go see the movie, and you will know why Fincher has this spot. But I cant leave this without saying the pull back character exit sequence at the end of the film was phenomenally done.

Breakthrough Actor and Actress of 2008: David Kross and Rebecca Hall

David Kross gave, in my opinion the 3rd best leading actor performance of 2008 behind only Leo DiCaprio and Sean Penn. His intense performance was gutsy and nuanced, and Kross literally and figuratively let it all hang out on the screen. I was surprised at the emotions his performance stirred in me, especially since this is his first English speaking role. Kross played Michael perfectly allowing himself and the character evolve from the innocence before his affair to an adult haunted by his past moral indiscretions. Forget Dev Patel, I predict that David Kross will have an Oscar in his hands within ten years, mark my words.

Rebecca Hall on the other hand gave a much different performance as Vicky in Vicky Cristina Barcelona. Hall outshone Woody Allen's "muse" Scarlet Johansen as well as Javier Bardem and nearly gave Penelope a run for her money.Rebecca perfectly plays with the Woody Allen neurotic intellectual persona, creating a character that is endearing, witty, and extremely sexy. Bonus points for her look of terror during the plane scene, it reminded me of my favorite moment from Annie Hall in which Woody is forced to drive with Christopher Walkin's suicidal crash enthusiast. I loved her verbal exchanges with Javier Bardem, and rank them among some of Allen's best writings. Rebecca Hall is most definitely an actress to watch, and hopefully she will soon become the star she deserves to be.

Best Ensemble: The Dark Knight

It is beyond me that The Dark Knight somehow missed out on SAG's shortlist. Just look at the cast: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Eric Roberts and Cillian Murphy. And every single one of them turned in a good if not great if not excellent performance. They were cohesive, each serving not only their characters but the rest of the cast as well, all the while best in show scenes and performances were abundant. This was especially true of Heath Ledger's hypnotic agent of chaos, Aaron Eckhart's good man driven to evil by loss and heartbreak, and Gary Oldman's weary yet tireless performance as man who believes in doing good and sacrificing one's self for the better good. Just grade A work all around.

Runners-Up: Doubt, Milk, Rachel Getting Married, Synecdoche New York, Slumdog Millionaire, and Tropic Thunder. 2008 was truly a year filled with excellent ensemble work.

Now for the superlatives....

Most Inspiring: Slumdog Millionaire (cliched, yes. but a given)

Most Shocking: Cloverfield

Funniest: Tropic Thunder

Most Depressing: Revolutionary Road(but that don't mean it ain't good)

Most Literary Original Film: Vicky Crisitna Barcelona

Most Un-Literary Adaptation: The Dark Knight

Most Disappointing: Australia (to apply the term epic to a film, raises expectations way to high a-la Cold Mountain)

Most Cinematic Film: The Dark Knight

Least Cinematic Film: W. (If it were made for t.v., the awards would be rolling in)

I hope all of you enjoyed 2008 as much as I did. It may not have contained as many instant classics as last years crop, but there can be no doubt that there was certainly an abundance of true quality films, both mainstream and independent. And for that I thank the movie gods...lets hope for an amazing 2009!

Now lets take one last look back at '08, courtesy of Matt Shapiro...................

The First Annual Oscar Hut Awards: 2008

I know 2008 was a slow, and sloth-like year here at the hut with sporadic posting and failed claims of a steady stream. However, life tends to get in the way of the things you love. And for me that was film.
Because of my hectic year which slowed considerably almost the day I returned from the Toronto Intl. Film Festival, I have missed out on seeing Revolutionary Road, Frost/Nixon, The Wrestler and Defiance, which is why names like Mickey Rourke, DiCaprio & Winslet, Langella and Sheen are nowhere to be found. I hope you enjoy the personal highlights of my year at the cinema.

Top 10 Films (In Alphabetical Order)

Changeling- A wonderful film that was unfairly treated by critics and audiences alike
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button- An epic in every sense of the word, beautiful &
thought provoking. Stunning work from a genius.
The Dark Knight- Elivating the super hero genre into more mature depths, The Dark
Knight was visually stunning, shocking, and iconoclastic. Best ever film
adapted from a comic book.
Doubt- Suprised me from the word go. Featuring the best ensemble of the year, Doubt made me
question my own beliefs and has haunted me since i left the theatre.
Milk- Another suprise for me, Milk undoubtedly shines as an example of the joy of film making.
The Reader- Another film that made me question my morals and beliefs. Hauntingly poignant.
Slumdog Millionaire- The most fun i had at a movie all year. I'm a sucker for underdog tales.
Tropic Thunder- Made me laugh out loud like no other 2008 comedy. It earns a spot on this
list for making blackface a viable entertainment source alone.
Vicky Cristina Barcelona- I love Woody Allen. And after years of shitty films, VCB is a welcome
back for this American treasure of a neurotic little man.
Wall-e- The most nostalgic film going experience of 2008 for me. I felt like a little kid again
watching Wall-e. I laughed, I cried, I screamed, I loved this movie.

Best Picture of 2008: Doubt
I walked into Doubt, expecting a trite, been there done that kind of a movie. I left in a euphoric daze. Doubt crackled, snapped and popped in ways i doubted it could (pun intended). The ensemble cast was phenominal. Streep was great, Hoffman was as per usual phenominal, Viola Davis suprised the heck out of me, and Amy Adams gave the best supporting actress preformance of the year. The direction was at times a little tacky, ( Whats the deal with Dutch angles lately ? First John Adams, now this ?) but John Patrick Shanley did a great job bringing his parrable to life, adapting it to the screen effortlessly. The photography was great, the editing was decent. I just absolutely loved Doubt.

Best Director: David Fincher
David Fincher deserved a statue last year for Zodiac, This year he outdid himself by creating the most pleasently odd epic ever made. His direction of the Curious Case of Benjamin Button was just transcendant. He clinched the award for me with that beautiful ending pull back sequence showing all the characters one lat time. Fincher, welcome to the big leagues.

Best Actor: Sean Penn
Penn preformance as Harvey Milk was just lovely. He played completely against type, by which i mean he played a character who was just absolutely happy and at peace with himself. Penn's smile in Milk was infectious and his attitude made for the best tribute he could have done for Harvey Milk's life. If Penn wins Best actor at the oscars, I will be a happy man.

Best Actress: Anne Hathaway
Another beautiful star playing completely against type. Hathaway did the exact oposite of Penn while giving the smae result. I've always had a crush on Annie, but her preformance in Rachel Getting Married was one of the most unnatractive I've ever seen. She was a raging, ex-addict attention hogging self centered bitch. And for that I hated her. However, at the same time, Hathaway played Kym with such conviction giving herself completely to the role, and thus made her utterly sympathetic and relatable.

Best Supporting Actor: Tie* Jason Butler Harner, Phillip Seymour Hoffman, & Heath Ledger
The one category this entire year that for me was a total clusterf**k, Best supporting actor featured most of the year's best preformances.
Jason Butler Harner broke out in a big way in Changeling, even if nobody else noticed it. He went for broke and scored big in the cliched killer role. He was insane, funny, sad, profund, sympathetic, exciting and vulnerable all within about 20 minutes of screen time. His execution scene is one that I will not soon forget.
Phillip Seymour Hoffman. What is there to say that hasnt been already said. The mere fact that he made a preist accused of molestation not only likeable but also someone you wanted to see beat Streep's nun on a mission was incredible. His sermon scenes offer some of his best work and his bench exchange with Amy Adams was pure bliss. Hoffman is amazing.
Heath Ledger reinvented The Joker as not a killer clown, but as a mercanary of chaos. A man hell bent on destruction, just for the sake of destruction. A man who is in a never ending chase for a thrill. His "Like a dog chasing cars" monologue, was the best line reading of the year.

Best Supporting Actress: Amy Adams
While most people have been singling out Viola Davis for her explosive scene in Doubt, I believe Adams not only bested Davis but the great Meryl streep as well. Her work is piercingly honest and enjoyable. I couldnt help but smile at her naturally pleasent dispostion at the beginnjing of the film, and I feel as if she grabbed me and took me along for her rollercoaster of an emotional journey onscreen. For thouse doubters out there( Once again, pun intended), I have to admit that I absolutely despised her work in Junebug, Enchanted and Charlie Wilson's war. Until just last week, Amy Adams was one of my least favorite actresses. Today, she is in my opinion one of the best.

Great One-Sheets # 's 6 & 7

"What Doesnt Kill You" and "Nothing But The Truth" are two extremely well done films that are both worthy of oscar nominations and decent box office.

Unfortunately, here in the real world, two wonderful films like these will come and go, eventually landing on a most under-rated or underappreciated list.

So...here is my question: How come two amazing films with great preformances, direction and writing like these barely scrape maybe 5-10 mil in the box office, while shit like Twilight, Highschool Musical 3, 4 Christmases, and The Game Plan make that much before the end of the first friday night on their way to a 40 million weekend ?

It makes no sense....at least to myself it doesnt...

What Films Will Constitute This Year's Oscar 5 ?

As of right now, with the majority of oscar contenders at least having been reviewed or receiving awards from the sattelites or the nbr's, I have to wonder whether or not this isnt one of the most heated races in a while.

You have Slumdog Millionaire and Ben Button as the preconcieved frontrunners, The Dark Knight was arguably THE FILM of 2008, Milk and Frost/Nixon have both received raves and are relevant as of this year and Milk is already a limmited release succsess. Revolutionary Road has gotten amazing reviews and films like Doubt, Defiance, The wrestler and Wall-E have as well. Even Gran Torino snuck out of nowhere to dominate the National Board of Review, Eastwood picking up two top 10 spots, a best actor award for himself and a screenplay award for Nick Schenk.

Such a crowd of films like this would have been commen place in september or October a few years back, however we are nearly a week into December with one of the most crowded plates ever.

So how do we sort something like this out ?

Part 2: 12/8/08

A Long Time Coming

Hey guys, after months of promising a grand return and updates galore with little to no follow up, i'm finally back and ready to go.

Luckilly since I've been gone I've missed only one major awards group, The National Board of Review who announced they're awards on Thursday.

Slumdog Millionaire and Gran Torino proved to be the big winners, with Slumdog taking best picture, tying for adapted screenplay and grabbing a breakthrough actor award for star and supporting actor contender Dev Patel. Meanwhile Gran Torino not only grabbed a top 10 spot but won for Best Actor Clint Eastwood and original screenplay.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in turn, was awarded Best Director for David Fincher and a tie for best adapted screenplay with Slumdog Millionaire.

Anne Hathaway also automatically became a lock for a nomination at least by winning Best actress, as did Josh Brolin for Milk and Penelope Cruz for her voluptously devilish turn in Woddy Allen's Vicky Crisitina Barcelona.

Judging from past NBR stats, I think it's safe to say that Eastwood, Hathaway, Brolin and Cruz are all locked up for at least a nomination, but with David Fincher winning Best Director his chances at an oscar nomination may disapear as with Tim Burton last year, the winners from 2001 to 2004, and 8 of they're winners from the 1990's.

Then again, what do I know....

Coming This November....The Oscar Hut* New & Improved

After 2 months offline, The Oscar Hut will be back in action starting November 1st, I hope you all enjoy the insights to come
Thanks
- Tyler j. Pratt

Toronto Watch #1

Sorry guys I know its been a while, but with school and comin up to Toronto things have been pretty hectic. Fortunately, I've been privilidged enough to see 3 great films here so far with 3 oscar worthy leading men.

Adam Ressurected, starring Jeff goldblum is a stark, poignant look at a Holocaust survivor,played by Goldblum in his greatest preformance since The fly if not his best ever.

The same goes for Mickey Rourke in Darren Aronofsky's The Wrestler. Finally cashing in on his promise of great preformances, Rourke provides arguably the best screen preformance of this year so far and his best preformance ever. Marisa Tomei also continues to impress and become a supporting actress hopeful after last years Before the devil Knows Your Dead, and Evan Rachel Wood perfectly captures the anger of a girl whose been ignored her entire life.

I saw Che again for the second time, and while difficult to get through, Soderburgh provides litteraly every moment of the revolution it seems, Benicio Del Toro is Ernesto "Che" Guavara, capturing and embodying the spirit of the iconic revolutionary. The only negative word I could say is that while amazing, Del Toro lacks the providing of Che's inner self that Gael Garcia Bernal displayed in The Motorcycle Diaries.

I'll be back soon with more.